RSNA Press Release

CHICAGO, Nov. 29, 2011 — Today the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conferred its highest honor, the Gold Medal, upon Robert R. Hattery, M.D., Bruce J. Hillman, M.D., and Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D.

In a tradition that originated in 1919, Gold Medals are presented each year to individuals who have rendered exemplary service to the science of radiology and who have received unanimous approval by the RSNA Board of Directors.

Robert R. Hattery, M.D.

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Robert R. Hattery, M.D.

A renowned diagnostic radiologist, educator and leader, 2006 RSNA President Robert R. Hattery, M.D., has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to patients that not only shaped his career trajectory but influenced the course of American radiology as we know it today.

In a career spanning more than three decades, Dr. Hattery, a professor of diagnostic radiology, has maintained a patient-centered philosophy, stressing in his 2006 RSNA President's Address that "medicine can only succeed when it is wrapped up in human values."

"Bob Hattery represents a role model for those academic radiologists who aspire to be a 'quadruple threat,' exhibiting excellence in education, research, clinical care and administration," said 2011 RSNA President Burton P. Drayer, M.D.

"I have been lucky to be part of a quality professional organization that helped me in practice, education and research," Dr. Hattery said.

Born in Phoenix, Dr. Hattery found a home for the majority of his academic career at the Mayo Clinic, Mayo Medical School and Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. He arrived as a resident in 1967 and by 1981 was named chair of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, a post he held for the next five years. From 1994 to 1998, Dr. Hattery served as chair of the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors, becoming the chief executive officer for all of Mayo Clinic's operations in Rochester. In 2002, the year he retired from the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Hattery was named Teacher of the Year—an honor he earned twice before at the institution. He is currently a professor emeritus at the Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Hattery has devoted most of his career to imaging the genitourinary tract, with particular emphasis on CT, CT urography, ultrasonography and contrast agents. Throughout his career, he has been extensively involved in quality improvement, board certification and professionalism.

An RSNA member for more than 20 years, Dr. Hattery was elected to the RSNA Board of Directors in 1998. He served as Liaison for Publications and Education Materials/Communications, a position that involved oversight of Radiology, RadioGraphics and RSNA News, as well as a number of committees, including the Publications Council and Public Information Committee. Dr. Hattery served as chairman of the Board in 2004.

In addition to volunteering on numerous professional associations and boards throughout his career, Dr. Hattery served as president of the Society of Computed Tomography in 1983, the Society of Uroradiology from 1986 to 1988 and the American Board of Radiology (ABR) from 2000 to 2002. As ABR president, Dr. Hattery spearheaded the maintenance of certification initiative and improved the working conditions and educational experience of residents.

A sought-after speaker in the area of genitourinary imaging, Dr. Hattery has fulfilled visiting professorships and lectureships at institutions around the world. He has authored or coauthored more than 150 publications, including peer-reviewed articles, abstracts and book chapters, and served on the editorial boards of RadioGraphics, Journal of Computed Body Tomography, Urologic Radiology and Abdominal Imaging. Dr. Hattery has contributed as a scientific reviewer to Radiology, RadioGraphics, Urology, Urologic Radiology, Investigative Radiology, Abdominal Imaging and American Journal of Roentgenology. He chaired a RadioGraphics selection panel on genitourinary imaging from 1989 to 1994.

Dr. Hattery's long list of awards includes gold medals from the American Roentgen Ray Society, Society of Uroradiology and American College of Radiology and the Hartman gold medal from the Minnesota Radiological Society.

Bruce J. Hillman, M.D.

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Bruce J. Hillman, M.D.

Bruce J. Hillman, M.D., Theodore E. Keats Professor of Radiology and Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, is an investigator whose dedication to radiology research has extended beyond his own work to include developing and nurturing other researchers within the specialty.

Recipient of the RSNA 2007 Outstanding Researcher Award, Dr. Hillman has received more than 20 grants as principal investigator or co-investigator, including the National Cancer Institute $23 million UO-1 award that led to the founding of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) in 1999. The network, for which Dr. Hillman was the principal investigator and chair from 1999 to 2007, received $192 million in grant funding and accrued more than 76,000 participants to imaging clinical trials during his tenure.

Under Dr. Hillman's leadership, ACRIN conducted more than 30 multicenter studies of imaging and cancer, including the ACRIN Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial that paved the way for reimbursement for digital mammography and prompted new screening guidelines for specific groups of women.

"Bruce Hillman could be awarded multiple RSNA Gold Medals for his careers as chairman, editor, author, patient-centered innovative researcher and radiology statesman," said 2011 RSNA President Burton P. Drayer, M.D.

"RSNA has given me numerous opportunities to serve our specialty—particularly helping to develop young researchers—that have been unusually rewarding and have greatly enriched my career," Dr. Hillman said.

Educated at Princeton University and the University of Rochester (N.Y.), the Miami Beach native began his radiology career as a resident at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (now Brigham & Women's Hospital) in Boston. Dr. Hillman served as section head of genitourinary radiology and vice chair of radiology at the University of Arizona and chair of radiology at the University of Virginia before moving into his current positions as founding editor of the Journal of the American College of Radiology and chief medical officer of ACR Image Metrix. He also was the founding editor of Academic Radiology, editor of Investigative Radiology, and a longtime reviewer for Radiology. He has published more than 30 book chapters, 120 editorials and 170 peer-reviewed articles, including two defining works on the use of imaging by nonradiologists.

Regularly addressing public policy issues such as the corporatization of radiology, Dr. Hillman's work on self-referral led to the development of federal legislation—the "Stark law"—as well as numerous state laws and new ethics guidelines for the American Medical Association.

Dr. Hillman has served as president of five radiological societies including the Association of University Radiologists (AUR) and the Society of Uroradiology (SUR). His extensive RSNA involvement includes serving four years with the RSNA Clinical Trials Methodology Workshop and developing the RSNA/American Roentgen Ray Society/AUR Introduction to Research Program. An RSNA member since 1981, Dr. Hillman delivered the Eugene P. Pendergrass New Horizons Lecture at RSNA's annual meeting in 1997.

Dr. Hillman has been honored with honorary membership or fellowship in three foreign radiologic societies, and received the AUR and SUR gold medals.

Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D.

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Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D.

More than 25 years ago, Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., was leading the way in bringing a new modality called MR imaging into radiology practice. Now, Dr. Kressel is once again cutting new paths, using his skills as an investigator, innovator and leader to take the journal Radiology into the online age of the 21st century.

"Herb has been an extraordinary colleague and mentor to numerous radiologists and imaging scientists because of his great knowledge, judgment, wit and kindness," said 2011 RSNA President Burton P. Drayer, M.D.

Radiology editor since January 2008, Dr. Kressel is radiologist-in-chief emeritus of the Department of Radiology at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, Mass., and Miriam H. Stoneman Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School.

"RSNA has served as a beacon of scientific and educational excellence over the many years of my professional career," Dr. Kressel said. "I am honored to receive the RSNA Gold Medal in recognition of my contributions."

Dr. Kressel has devoted his career to MR imaging of the abdomen and pelvis. Dr. Kressel was among those to develop early clinical applications of fast spin echo MR and contributed significantly to the role of imaging in rectal and prostate tumor staging. He holds a U.S. patent for the externally moveable intracavity probe for MR imaging and spectroscopy.

That same sense of pioneering achievement marks Dr. Kressel's first few years at the helm of RSNA's science journal. Dr. Kressel has developed a robust online journal with monthly "Hear What We Think" podcasts, online poll questions related to journal articles and videos to accompany "How I Do It" reviews.

Dr. Kressel has also led efforts to extend the reach of Radiology internationally, with an abbreviated Japanese version of the journal starting quarterly publication in February 2010.

Before assuming his current roles at Beth Israel Hospital and Harvard in 1993, Dr.Kressel was chief of the MR imaging section of the Department of Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. From 1998 to 2000, he also provided administrative and leadership expertise to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, serving as chief medical officer, president and CEO.

An RSNA member since 1977, Dr. Kressel served as an editorial board member of Radiology from 1985 to 1991 and is currently on the editorial board of The Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. He was also the editor of Magnetic Resonance Annual and Magnetic Resonance Quarterly. He is the author or coauthor of nearly 200 peer-reviewed scientific reports, books, book chapters and invited papers and has published more than 60 articles in Radiology over the past 30 years.

Among the many awards Dr. Kressel has received are the silver medal of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and the Sylvia Sorkin Greenfield Award from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. In 1991 he shared with John V. Crues III, M.D., the inaugural Crues-Kressel Award for outstanding achievements in MR technologist education from the Section for Magnetic Resonance Technologists of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Note: Copies of RSNA 2011 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press11 beginning Monday, Nov. 28.

RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)